Learn to Live in Helpless Dependence on the Holy Spirit — Zac Poonen

Hardly any emphasis on faith in the old testament at all but in the new testament jesus often spoke about it. In fact sometimes he looked at his disciples and said oh you of little faith how long shall i continue with you.

He would think that jesus was getting fed up. He was not getting fed up with them because he never got fed up with them in his life but he wanted them to be rebuked. You of little faith. I mean he never spoke like that about anything else.

There were so many other weaknesses the disciples had but the one thing he wanted them to have at any cost was faith. I don't find him rebuking his disciples for anything else. You know that they didn't understand the truth.

Well or they did not preach. Well or you know so many things that today uh churches are taken up with. People must learn to sing well and preach. Well it's all good brother. But i don't find jesus ever emphasizing those things.

He was always rebuking people for faith. And i believe there's a close connection between faith and poverty of spirit as well because one of the best pictures of faith that i have found see faith is a helpless dependence on our heavenly father for all our needs.

So that's very closely connected with poverty of spirit. The person who is poor in spirit says i have no resources in myself to handle life's problems. But i have a heavenly father and i can lean upon him.

Faith as Helpless Dependence on the Father

And the picture which i've often used is what jesus used in matthew chapter 5 where he says that if you abide in me as the branch in the tree john 15. This is john 15. If you abide in me you can bear fruit otherwise without me.

Verse john 15 verse 5 you can do zero. So that is faith the helpless dependence of a branch upon a tree. We have heard so much about faith from pentecostals who say that you'll be healed of sicknesses by faith.

And we the more you listen to them the more confused you'll be. I would urge you don't listen to them. Listen to jesus in the bible. I stopped listening to all these people who got wrong teachings on faith and that so i don't get confused.

I say jesus said to be helplessly dependent on a tree like a branch. What does the tree expect that branch to do nothing except stick to me. Just stick to me. Don't cut yourself off. You don't have to produce one fruit.

Imagine if jesus were to say to you my dear child you don't have to produce one fruit in your life. That is my responsibility. The lord says just depend on me and trust. Lean upon me for everything. And keep the channels in your life open so that my sap the holy spirit can flow into you all the time.

The fruit will come automatically. That is the secret of fruitfulness. And when you get that type of fruit you will never be proud. No the more fruit you produce in your life the humbler you'll become.

You've seen these branches which have very little fruit. They're very erect. The more fruit comes in the branch the branch begins to hang down. The more fruit there is the more the branch hangs down in humility.

That's the mark of person with much fruit there's the more the more he has. The humbler he becomes because he knows that i cannot produce even one mango tree. The branch cannot produce one mango by itself.

It knows that. So it says i'm just going to lean in the tree. The christian life is a very simple life. The person who's poor in spirit says i can't do anything. I'm just going to lean in jesus and be dependent upon him constantly for everything.

I wish all of us would come into that simple life and meditate. My brothers and sisters when you read scripture develop the habit of meditating. We miss so much if we don't meditate. When jesus spoke about the branch in the tree and said you can do nothing without me.

Meditate on the branch in the tree. Whenever you feel i want to do something for god i'll tell you what you got to do. Lean upon the lord in helpless ness. That's what you got to do. And to say lord i can do nothing.

Jesus’ Own Dependence on the Father

Do you know that jesus himself said i can do nothing. Turn with me to the gospel of john and see what he says in john chapter 5 and verse 30. Can you believe jesus saying this i can do nothing on my own initiative.

I told you how jesus sometimes repeats some things two or three times within a period of one or two minutes. This is another of those statements. Just one minute earlier he said in verse 19 john 5 19 truly i say to you i can do nothing.

And then one minute later he says i can do nothing. He said lord i heard it. I heard you say that. No you haven't heard it. You need to hear it again because you people think you can do something. That's your problem.

But jesus as far as i'm concerned i can do nothing. And god is seeking to work in all of us proud human beings and proud believers especially those of us who think we are better than other believers because we've got a purer doctrine.

I fear that that danger is there in cfc believers. Oh we've got a purer doctrine than others. So we are better than others. And i've seen that type of pride come into cfc believers who look down on roman catholics or martoma people or other people who are in other groups.

I mean you avoid them for their wrong doctrines. Like you hear me speak about the wrong doctrines of the pentecostals because they deceive people that pray preachers. I'm not talking about that. But don't look down on people there.

We must not look down on anyone in any denomination. There are some godly people in the roman catholic church i believe that who are born again their doctrine is wrong but their life is right. Just like in cfc there are people whose doctrine is right whose life is wrong.

So it's a life that matters. And the truly spiritual person is the one who recognizes like jesus i can do nothing of myself. That's what jesus said. And if i see the father doing something i do that he says.

I don't even give an opinion john 5 30. I don't want to give my opinion about people. As i hear john 5 30 i judge. That means when the lord looks into a person or looks at a situation he's waiting for the father to tell him.

Why does the father have time. Doesn't jesus know everything. Nobody came to earth like us. And he lived on earth like a person like a child depending on the father. For everything who else can say. I can do nothing.

It's a baby who says i can do nothing. What jesus says in one minute he says twice. I can do nothing unless i see the father do it. I cannot do anything on my own initiative. I have to wait for the father to tell me.

And i'll do. That's why he prayed so much. That's why he sought the lord. The father's face frequently. The more confident you are in yourself. Let me tell you a law. The more confident you are in yourself the less you will pray always.

That is a rule. You pray less because you don't need god's help. You can manage on your own. Why do you need to pray. Jesus could not manage on his own. So it's frequently went to pray before other people got up.

He would get up and get alone somewhere to pray. Why. Because he couldn't do anything. Why is it. Christians are not like that. Because they say we can do a lot of things. But see what's i come. What is your life accomplished for the lord.

Think of it. Ask yourself what has your life accomplished for the lord. You made a lot of money perhaps in and done so many clever things. But what is your life accomplished for the lord in terms of eternity.

You may say i've got a few people to the lord here and there. It could have been 10 times more if you are a little more helpless if you had. Or you say i belong to a good church. Is that all god wants you to be to belong to a good church.

No there's a lot more. I want to say to every one of you my brothers and sisters every branch every part of god's christ body he wants to use for his glory. And i want to say to you even if you're an ordinary brother in one of the churches there in the gulf god wants to use you.

Even if you're an insignificant. You're not an elder or a preacher or anything in the church. You're an insignificant brother. God wants to use you. He wants to use you in your office. He wants to use you in your neighborhood.

He wants to let a light shine through you. That people who encounter you will never forget that they met a man of god. When i was a young christian i was only 20 23 years old when i was working in the navy.

But i felt lord i'm not a great scholar or anything. I didn't know much of the bible those days. But i love jesus. And i said lord all the people i meet with in the ship they must never forget in their entire life that they met one true christian in their life.

That's all. Maybe i can't answer all their questions or explain so many things they ask. Maybe i don't know but they should never forget that once in their life they met a true christian. And that was my goal not to show myself as a great preacher because i didn't know so much those days.

I was only 23 24 years old i was i was 26 years old when i left my job in the navy and god called me out. But i remember i was so encouraged when 40 years later i met one of those admirals who was a colleague of mine a little senior to me in the cochin naval base and i meet him in bangalore.

He's retired now and he comes to me and says zach i can never forget you. He remembered i was so encouraged that my christian witness he did not forget for 40 years. I did not preach great sermons to him.

I just stood up for certain things saying sir i cannot do that because that's against my conviction. I remember once they there are a lot of unrighteous things that go on in government offices even in your offices where and i remember the navy once i was in charge of all the boats appointed with that job.

And even the commanding officer takes out a boat you're not supposed to charge him anything. Even if he takes it out for a picnic he's supposed to pay. But you have to show it in the records as he went for a harbor inspection or something like that even though then he doesn't have to pay you know because it's official duty.

But he didn't go for official duty. He went for a personal picnic. So what did i do. I sent the captain a bill saying you went for a picnic. Here's a bill for the diesel you used in the petrol. And the second in command the captain is too big a man to talk to me directly.

He sent his second in command to me and that man came to me and said why did you send the captain a bill. I said sir he took the boat out for a picnic. He's supposed to pay for the diesel just like all of us he said.

Didn't the previous boat officer tell you how to show it as a harbor inspection or something like that. I said sir i'm a christian i can't go against my conscience. You know what happened in half an hour.

They transferred me from that job. That's just one experience i had. I had some wonderful experiences like that in the navy. Wonderful experiences. And the lord saw that and i was so encouraged it deepened my fellowship to the lord.

And one day the lord said i want you to leave the navy. I want you to carry this witness outside. I was so encouraged. That is the greatest honor that the lord gave me. It was like being promoted to be the admiral more senior most position that god almighty looked at my life as a young man and said i want you to come out and be my servant boy.

There's no greater honor in the whole world. But i knew that when i looked back then i knew that many. I just gave you one example. There were numerous situations like that where god tested me to see whether i will stand up for my christian conviction and for the name of jesus christ.

Or whether i'll be ashamed to say that i'm a disciple of jesus that i stand up for the truth. I want to ask you dear brothers if you feel like a helpless branch you will easily do what the lord tells you to do.

But if you're a clever person and you you can plan and scheme and take care of yourself. You won't do it. You'll be always protecting yourself. Let the lord protect you leave it to the lord to predict you.

I didn't care. You know they told me that if you disobeyed senior officers you'll be locked up in jail in secular service. They'll dismiss you from the job in the military. If you disobey a senior officer you're locked up in jail.

You're not just dismissed. I said fine. I'd be happy to go to jail for jesus sake. No problem. These are little little things where god tests us to see whether we'll be faithful to stand up for the truth.

I'm not saying that we should you know provocatively witness for christ. I mean there are rules in your country that you should not witness on the streets. Don't witness on the streets. That's okay. But nobody can stop your light from shining through your life in your place of work.

Saying to say sorry sir i don't do that. I'm a christian. I can't do it. That's against my conscience. It's against my conviction. Well they say you lose your job. Okay. Ready to lose my job. God will give me a better job.

Maybe not with a better salary. But he'll give me a better job. That's very very important to be willing in these days to stand up for christ. My example always. I read a lot of books about the first century martyrs books of the people who died for christ in the first second third century.

It's it's amazing what they stood for. And i they faced lions and swords and all. They were killed. And i said lord they faced so much for you. Can't i face these little little problems here in my office.

Am i afraid of losing my job. When those early christians were willing to lose their life and be thrown to the lions. Am i a brother of those christians or am i a coward. Jesus was always helpless. That's why he was so bold.

Because he he was only a branch. He didn't have to do anything. Lord my father he was dependent on him. I can do nothing. And that's what i see. This is real poverty of spirit. I can do nothing as i told you in one minute.

He says it twice. Remember these two verses john 5 19 and john 5 30. But jesus says i can do nothing of myself. That was the secret of his life. Whatever the father tells me to do i do. I don't even form an opinion about someone.

No i don't judge. As i hear john 5 30 i judge. I come into a situation i just you remember that story where the this pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery. And uh master the moses said through such people should be stoned.

And jesus was 30 years of experience knowing god's word. He could have immediately given an answer. But he didn't. He scribbled on the ground. It's like sometimes we scribble on a piece of paper because we are thinking what should i say.

What should i do. Jesus was human. He scribbled on the ground scribbled on the ground scribbled on the ground till it became clear. And he was a branch. No he could do nothing. There's no opinion no judgment no answer to give.

Scribbling on the ground and quietly saying father father what shall i do. And the father said tell them the one who's without sin to throw the first stone. So he got up said he was without sin through the first stone.

And he continued scribbling on the ground. What next. Father. No don't do anything. Now just wait. So he waited waited scribbling on the ground. And then one by one they all go away. And only that adulterous woman is left.

Now what. Father. I already said he was without sin should throw the first stone. And i am the only one now without sin. Should i throw a stone. The father says no. Father says let her go. Tell her she's forgiven.

Tell her not to sin anymore. So he gets up and says i don't condemn you go and sin. No more. No i read that story like that the way i explained to you now and i said lord make me like that. Make me like the way you lived on earth in every situation.

Not to think i'm so clever and i know the answer to everything. I know nothing. I can do nothing. I want to listen. Listen listen. The one who's good in spirit is a great listener. He doesn't think he knows the answer to everything.

He's a listener very very important. So that's something that we have to learn because you know the more you know we know in our cfc churches we know so much truth compared to many other people in other churches that can go to our head that that we think we are more spiritual because we know so much truth.

It's not true. You're spiritual if you become the place where you're helplessly dependent like the branch upon the tree that is god's will for every one of us be helplessly dependent. Because when we are helplessly dependent on that we will be seeking for the power of the holy spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s Power Rather Than Mere Knowledge

The more i've read the acts of the apostles i see these these guys. They were such ignorant people. But what a lot they accomplished. There's only one answer to it. They were filled with the holy spirit.

And many people who claim to be filled with the holy spirit today are not filled with the holy spirit. I thank god that i got open my eyes. I remember when i was a young person of 23 years old i that's the time i felt the need.

I was in a brethren assembly and they used to teach the word of god used to study the book bible like you study a book of chemistry. You don't need to be filled with the holy spirit to study chemistry and the way they study the bible in the brethren assembly.

You don't need to be filled with the holy spirit either. It's all academic knowledge. It was good to study the bible. I did it. But i felt a lack of power in my life. And i said lord i want to be filled with the holy spirit like it says here.

I never knew about the pentecostals those days. It's way back 1963 i was only 23 years old and somebody said got to go to the pentecostals. They'll tell you about being filled with the spirit. I said okay i'm willing to go.

And somebody took me to a pentecostal pastor. I was a young man. I said i want to be filled with the holy spirit. He said okay just kneel down here we'll pray. And he said now do what i tell you to do.

Keep saying hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah. Keep saying that. And suddenly your tongue will trip. And then you'll speak in tongues. I said that's not how the apostles spoke in tongues in the day of pentecost.

Nobody told them to keep saying keep saying hallelujah hallelujah. Then your tongue will trip. I said i'm sorry i'm not going to do that. He got very angry with me. That was the end of our meeting. And that was the end of my going to a pentecostal church to be filled with the holy spirit.

I said i'll never go there. That's all they have. They teach people some type of garbage and the multitudes of people who listen to this garbage and are deceived that they are filled with the holy spirit.

They're not. I thank god that many years later god really filled me the holy spirit. And it produced results in my life for years. I was defeated by sin even though i was born again and i knew the bible quite a bit and i could preach.

But i was i used to get angry at home. And i used to could not control my thoughts. But i would confess immediately oh lord i'm sorry i've slipped up and fallen defeated. Defeated not. And of course the defeats become less and less.

But still defeated. I said lord i really need to be filled with the holy spirit. Really genuinely. And i'm very thankful that one day in god's mercy when i was at the rock bottom of defeat god filled me with the holy spirit.

I remember so clearly it was the 12th of january 1975. That's what 47 years ago i was praying with another brother in my own house in upper room and god met with me. I didn't want to i wanted to be filled with the holy spirit.

And he gave me that assurance. And when he gave me that assurance he also gave me the gift of tongues which i did not expect. That was an added gift. That was not something i had to repeat anything. It was a gift from heaven which has been a very useful gift for me.

I use it only in private never in public. But i know what happened in my life after that. Six months later cfc was born in my house the first cfc church and my home. Life was changed. My personal life was changed little by little.

It's amazing when god meets with you. And ever since that time i've told people brothers you need to seek to be filled with the holy spirit. That's what changed the apostles on the day of pentecost. So not some new teaching.

No the god came down and met with them. And not just once. That's the other thing i said lord this is just once i want to be filled with the spirit again again again. Even this morning because i got up i said lord i want to be filled with the holy spirit.

It's my constant prayer. Ephesians 5 18 means be continuously filled with the holy spirit. And that's the mark of a man who is poor in spirit. I i think of example of you know i jesus used illustrations.

Poverty of Spirit as Daily Thirst

So we can compare poor in spirit with poor in money. For example. And in india those who live in india know you've seen beggars in bangalore we used to have beggars come to the to our gate. They'll come and knock at the gate and you go and give them something.

Say you give them a few rupees and they'll come back the next day. Where's the money i gave you yesterday. Oh sir that was finished yesterday. I need some more. That's a poor man. That's a really poor man.

He's so dependent that he has to come every day and ask where's. Where's the money i gave you yesterday. Oh that was finished. I need something more there. I learned from that beggar from these beggars what poverty of spirit is.

We can learn from beggars. From children. I said that's how i got to go to god. Turn to the book of proverbs. Proverbs is a great book. In the book of proverbs you read about how we are to seek the lord.

Proverbs chapter 8. You know sometimes you read in proverbs a repeated statement saying listen to me keep my instruction. Don't neglect it. Isn't isn't saying it once enough. No no i have to repeat it.

Proverbs 8 32. Oh sons listen to me. You'll be blessed if you keep my ways heed my instruction. Don't neglect it. Yeah lord what are you trying to tell me. You're repeating number of times. This is what i'm trying to tell you.

Verse 34. This is the man who's blessed who listens to me who watches daily at my gates. Like that beggar waiting at my doorposts waiting at the door. Just like that beggar knocking knocking knocking.

Until i come and give him something. Because he who finds me will find life and favor from the lord. That verse has come to me many many times watching daily. Verse 34. That beggar comes again next day.

Where's the money i gave you yesterday. Oh sir that's finished yesterday. That's how i need to go back to god every day. Lord i want to be filled with the holy spirit. Didn't i do that for you yesterday.

Yeah that was for yesterday. Lord fill me with the holy spirit. I want to be continuously filled with the holy spirit because i have a need today to be a witness for you. I want to urge you my dear brothers even if you are blessed by what you hear in the different messages you'll never be able to accomplish all that god wants to do through you unless you are really filled with the holy spirit.

And that can only come if you thirst. Jesus said if anyone thirst let him come to me. And i believe that's what we need. Lord i have not understood what poverty of spirit is. You know you can listen to a message.

You can listen to me. We had a whole i don't know how many sessions you've had so far and i'm sure you've heard some wonderful messages from brother joji great man of god. And but you can listen to all the great men of god.

That's fine. But if you really want to know poverty of spirit you got to go to jesus say lord let me look at your life let me see. Let me look at your word which says i have to come to you daily to learn a little more of my helpless dependence upon you like a branch in a tree.

If you have learned that you've learned a great secret in the christian life that i can do nothing. And even when i try to assess somebody i know nothing. I believe it's a great hindrance to our christian life when we begin to have high thoughts about ourselves that we think we know so much.

And there's a great danger in cfc churches particularly that we can look down on others and compare ourselves with others and think we know better than them. You are better than them. Your life is radiating more of christ.

Not if you know so much knowledge i fear it's one of the great fears i have of cfc people who listen to so many sermons and go to youtube and listen to this sermon that sermon and their head is crammed full of knowledge.

But their life is not up to the level. You know the when paul wrote to the timothy he said this to them to timothy. And one timothy chapter 4 1 timothy 4 and verse 16 paul wrote to timothy and said there are two things you must pay close attention to pay close attention that means take two things very carefully.

One is your life and the other is your teaching. What you've understood and your life your teaching and your life your doctrine and your life. They're like the two legs we can say you're both. Your legs must be equal.

If a man has got even a one inch shortage one inch shortage in one leg compared to the other you'll detect it immediately from a distance. When he walks one inch our legs may be three feet long. But if the other leg is just one inch less than that from a distance you'll be able to see that man's legs are not equal.

One leg is longer. And i'll tell you my observation many cfc brothers and sisters their knowledge leg is much longer than their life. Like knowledge is so huge. And the life is not just one inch shorter.

It's about half the size and not even how they're limping. And they don't even realize how awkward it is. Take heed your life and your understanding of truth your teaching. Because if you do this you will save yourself.

That's what it says. Have you ever heard of saving yourself. Yeah you save yourself. And then you'll also save others around you. So if i want to save myself according to this verse and save others around me there are two things i must take care of.

That my life is both legs are always equal. That my life is equal to my teaching. That if my teaching is better than the teaching of those people in the martha church my life must also be much better than theirs.

If my teaching is better than the people in the roman catholic church then my life must also be better than theirs. It's no use saying my doctrine is better than yours and my teaching is purer than you.

That's not enough. Very important. So if you're poor in spirit you'll have no difficulty in understanding that you say lord i see my need. So let's turn to john chapter seven. John's gospel. In chapter seven we read how we can be filled with the holy spirit which i believe is the most important thing of all.

If you're really poor in spirit it'll be very easy to be filled with the holy spirit. And you'll be continuously filled with the spirit. If you remain poor in spirit you don't need to know the definition of being poor in spirit.

You have to be poor in spirit. You don't need to know the definition of humility. You've got to be humble. Let's not be so taken up with. Oh now i can explain that. Forget it. You don't need to explain it.

See there are a lot of people there are a lot of doctors who can explain about health who are sick. And there are other people who don't know anything about medicine or physical health who are healthy.

What is important. Not to be able to explain what health is like but to be healthy. Not even to explain the doctrine of being filled with the spirit. But to be filled with the spirit to have rivers of living water flowing out.

Rivers of Living Water Through Thirst and Faith

And here it says how that can happen. John 7 and verse 37 and 38 is very very simple most of the time. You know that most of the time when jesus preached he sat down. He did not stand up. You read that the sermon on the mount jesus was not standing up.

He was sitting down. John chapter 8 you read even he was in the temple he was sitting down and preaching. Even in luke chapter 5 he sat down inside a boat. Jesus sermons were all preached sitting down.

The old testament prophets stood up and preached prophetic messages. Yeah there's nothing wrong with that. All i'm just saying is jesus would sit down because he was like a father. You know when the father sits at the head of the table with all the children sitting around the table and teaches scripture to them.

That is how jesus taught now a teacher in a classroom. Teacher in the classroom doesn't sit. He stands because he's a teacher. Jesus was a father so most of the time he would sit and talk. Some people are surprised when they see us sit and talk.

And i'm not against people standing or sitting. I say all i say is don't teach like the school teacher in the classroom. Teach like the father who's sitting at the head of the table. Whether you stand or sit important thing is the spirit.

But here we read jesus stood up because he was prophesying. It's one of the rare times you find him standing up and speaking something special because almost all the other messages were. The two longest sermons jesus preached are matthew 5 6 and 7.

He sat down. You read in matthew 5. And the other longest sermon he preached was john 14 15 16 17. In the last supper he sat down and preached to them at the table. But here was a very prophetic message.

He stood up. Jesus stood and cried out. Most of the time he didn't cry out. He just spoke gently. And this time he cried out. You who are thirsty come to me and drink and believe in me. The two conditions for being filled the holy spirit if you if you fulfill that the guarantee is from your innermost being rivers of living water will flow.

In the early days of my preaching when i was 25 26 28 years old i was preaching 30 years old. It was a big struggle to preach god's word. It was like you know the hand pumps that we have in the villages in india where the people come with their buckets to fill water because there's no running water in their homes.

You come to the hand pump and you pump and pump and pump and pump and water keeps coming out. As long as you pump you stop pumping. The water stops. That's how my preaching was in the early days. And it was a struggle.

And i said lord that's not how you spoke. And he said if you're thirsty come to me. I said lord i'm thirsty. I want to learn how to speak useful. And he said not only come to me. You've got to believe.

Then i'll do that for you. Two qualifications for rivers of living water to come out from you. One is you have to have a tremendous thirst. A person who's really poor in spirit will have a tremendous thirst like the beggar.

He'll not go away from the gate till he gets what he asks for you. Remember what he read in proverbs 8. Blessed is the man who watches at my gate and does not leave till he gets what he wants. Sometimes god keeps us waiting because he sees wants to find out how eager we are to get it.

Are you really desperate to get it. Or will you be satisfied with a little less. He tests us. But if he sees that you're not satisfied with anything less than the best. Many people when they go to pray they pray for something.